RedEye
by avidfan23
Summary: Lisbon gets a glimpse of how her life could have turned out and it scares her. Will she learn to open up so that she can start to heal, or will she just keep running away?


**Author's Note:**

**This is my first ever fan fiction... I tried to make the characters as true to themselves as possible but I think that Lisbon might be a little OOC. I managed to work the whole team in to the story though! Reviews would be very much appreciated :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it...  
**

A loud knock on the door shook Lisbon out of her reveries. She hadn't realized that she had been staring at the same spot on the page for the last five minutes. She rubbed her eyes, trying to regain her composure.

"Come in," she shouted. The door opened revealing a smiling Patrick Jane. He waltzed into her office and perched on the corner of her desk. Lisbon groaned inside as she took note of his sunny disposition since it usually meant that he was up to something. "What can I do for you, Jane?" she asked as she straightened up in her chair and rearranged her facial expression so that he would be less likely to read exactly what it was she was feeling.

Jane looked down at her before responding. "Oh, nothing, I just thought that you might want a little company. You've been in here a lot this week. The team is starting to think that you are hiding from them!"

Lisbon rolled her eyes at that comment. Of course he would come and interrupt the small amount of quiet time she was able to find. They hadn't had a case in a couple of days and so she spent most of her time trying to catch up on the endless piles of paperwork that had been created as a result of the charming creature who stood before her, no doubt.

"I am not hiding from the team and they know it." She replied. "I just have so many things that I have to do."

"Meh," Jane smiled at her, "You don't _have _to do anything. All the pressure that you feel is self-imposed. You want to be the best and prove to Hightower that you deserve to be Senior Agent. Really, you have nothing to worry about, she already knows."

"Thanks for your analysis Dr. Jane, but like I said, I am very busy and would appreciate it if you left me alone so that I could get everything done! Not to mention that half of the paperwork that I have to catch up on is from the complaints that were filed because of you." Lisbon muttered before picking up her pen and resuming her work. She hoped that Jane would get the message and respect her wishes, but she wasn't counting on it.

Lisbon wasn't entirely surprised when Jane approached her and grabbed the pile of papers she had been working on. She looked up, scowling, as he turned and ran out of her office. Seriously, what was he- age five? Lisbon closed her eyes and counted to ten, reminding herself that no matter how much she wanted to shoot Jane right now, he was useful to the unit, and killing a co-worker would surely be grounds for dismissal, even if everyone had thought about doing it at one time or another. After she felt sufficiently calm, Lisbon ventured out of her office and into the bullpen.

Cho was sitting there on his own, reading a book. He didn't look up as she entered but gave her a grunt of acknowledgement. He pointed towards the elevators and muttered something along the lines of "he went that way". Lisbon wasted no time in chasing after him but ran into Hightower on the way.

"Lisbon!" The boss called, "I've been looking for you. I have a case that requires your immediate attention."

Lisbon had no choice but to ignore Jane's childish antics and follow her boss into her office. She had to be very careful how she handled herself around Hightower because one wrong move might mean the end of her career. Lisbon had no idea what she would do without it; it had been her reason for living for as long as she could remember.

As Lisbon reviewed the case file, her face fell and her insides squirmed. This one seemed awfully familiar… Hightower must have noticed her change in demeanour because she laid a hand on Lisbon's shoulder and squeezed it encouragingly before shooing her out of the office.

She took her time heading back to the bullpen where she knew the team would be waiting. If she was going to solve this case, she would have to put on a mask and not let anyone know how much it was going to affect her. She just hoped that Jane would have enough tact to be able to solve this one quickly without making her life a misery for the duration.

* * *

"We have a case," Lisbon said as she walked into the bullpen. Van Pelt and Rigsby sat up and looked at her as Cho put down his book. "Where is Jane?"

"I don't know," Van Pelt replied. "He wasn't here when we got back from lunch." Rigsby nodded in agreement but didn't look at Van Pelt. He didn't seem to be taking their 'break up' very well at all. Van Pelt, on the other hand, was throwing herself into her work even more than usual.

Lisbon wasted no time passing around the case files so that everyone could familiarize themselves with the crime they were about to tackle. She could feel their worried eyes on her, but she chose to ignore them and lose herself in her job, as always.

After a few minutes she had delegated all the tasks- Cho and Rigsby were working the scene while Grace was looking up the key suspects on her computer. Jane was still no where to be found. Lisbon grabbed her keys and her coat, locked her office door, said goodbye to Grace and headed off to the crime scene herself.

It was only a short drive away, fifteen minutes tops. As she rushed up to the house, she noted that Jane's Citroën was parked outside as well.

"What've we got?" She asked as she approached Cho.

"One girl, three boys… the girl was found drowned in the tub and the coroner says that the cause of death for the boys is strangulation and suffocation." Cho replied with no expression.

Lisbon's mind started to race, but she shook her head to clear out her thoughts. She needed to focus. Jane was crouched beside the bodies of the three boys.

"Can you tell us anything about the victims, Jane?" Lisbon asked. Jane looked up at her and gave her a small smile before proceeding.

"The oldest boy looks to be about twelve years old. He has a bruising pattern on his body that makes it appear as if he had been beaten a few days ago. The more recent marks on his neck indicate strangulation. I would hazard a guess that he was trying to protect the younger two."

Lisbon closed her eyes as Jane continued. "They all are wearing clothes that are far too baggy for them and their teeth are full of cavities, so I can assume that the family was not well off. The middle boy is about eight. He also has a bizarre bruising pattern on his torso which is indicative of being beaten. The youngest boy looks to be about five years old. I can assume based on the pillow lying next to him, that he was smothered to death."

Lisbon turned to Cho and ordered, "Bag the pillow and have Van Pelt get it to forensics, if we are lucky it might have some DNA on it that can help us to find the killer." Cho nodded and did as he was told.

"Boss," Rigsby called from upstairs, "you have to come see this."

Lisbon knew for a fact that she would not want to see what was upstairs. She had seen too much already. But she had a job to do, so she drew in a breath and climbed the stairs to join him. The sight that was waiting for her was almost too much for her to bear. She opened the door to the bathroom to find a fully clothed teenage girl submerged in the bathtub. The girl had her hands duct taped together and there was a piece of tape over her mouth, making it impossible to breathe or to save her self. What was more, the girl wore a thin gold chain around her neck, complete with a cross, just like Lisbon's.

Lisbon couldn't take it anymore. The walls felt like they were closing in and she could feel her stomach churning inside her. She turned and ran out of the room leaving a confused Rigsby in her wake.

Once outside, she ran around the side of the house to empty the contents of her stomach into the nearby garbage can. She sunk to the ground and cradled her head in her hands, trying to calm herself down. She felt embarrassed that she had lost control like this, especially in front of her team, but she was thankful that none of them witnessed what had just happened. She picked herself up and started to head back inside but as she turned the corner she practically collided with Jane.

"Oh, Lisbon, I was just coming to look for you. Rigsby was confused when you left so fast." He took note of her pale, clammy skin before continuing. "You know there's nothing to be ashamed of. Some cases are bound to have a bigger effect on you than others."

Lisbon glared at him with her patented death glare, "I am not ashamed of anything. I am fine! Just leave me alone!" With that she stormed back into the house with Patrick Jane jogging to keep up.

She met with her team briefly in order to give instructions about what to do next. She was quite grateful that Rigsby and Cho seemed quite oblivious to any changes in her behaviour as they waited patiently to be told what to do. Jane kept giving her worried glances which she chose to ignore.

"Jane, Cho, you go talk to the neighbours, see if they knew anything about the family or if they saw anything suspicious. Rigsby, you go help Van Pelt try and locate the parents." Rigsby looked less than pleased with this assignment but went off without complaint. Jane on the other hand, whined and complained all the way into the car while Cho threatened to hit him with his book if he didn't cooperate. Before he climbed into his Citroen, with Cho already secured in the passenger side, he stole one last glance at Lisbon.

Lisbon started to head back to the office where she knew she would have to update Hightower on the case. At the last minute though, she swerved, heading away from the CBI headquarters entirely and towards her own apartment. She just needed some time to collect herself before going and facing her boss.

She felt as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. It seemed like such a long time ago that Jane had childishly tried to steal her papers away from her so that she would take a break. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was draw a warm bath and go to bed early. She would deal with work later. It was times like these when she wished that she had someone to go home to, someone who would hold her and tell her that everything was going to be ok.

* * *

Lisbon kicked off her shoes and dropped her purse as soon as she entered her apartment. After leaving her keys, gun, and badge on the table, she trudged upstairs to change into her most comfortable pyjamas. She was momentarily distracted by a box that she kept on the floor at the back of her closet. Although she knew what it held, she could not help but crouch down and retrieve it. She fingered it slowly before opening the lid and exposing some of her most precious possessions from… before. Her eye was drawn to a small plush teddy bear that was rather worse for wear. It was worn down and had several bald patches, the result of being hugged many times over the years.

Lisbon hated that she was stuck rummaging through her childhood toys. She hadn't opened the box in years, but tonight, after the day she had, she grabbed the stuffed toy and slipped beneath the sheets. She lay on her side and hugged her knees up to her chest as she clutched the bear, rubbing its soft, plush fur and allowing a few salty tears to escape as she drifted into unconsciousness.

It felt like she had just fallen asleep when she arose to the incessant ringing of her cell phone. She rolled over and glanced at the clock. 2:30 a.m. Lisbon groaned and turned on her light before answering the phone.

"Lisbon." She muttered tiredly.

"Hi Boss, sorry to bother you so late," Van Pelt's voice sounded so apologetic for calling Lisbon at this hour, that she couldn't be mad at the rookie. "I just tracked down the children's father. I'm afraid that he won't be of any help to us."

Lisbon frowned as she hung up the phone and sat up in her bed. She looked around for her stuffed bear before getting up, once she had located it she propped it up against her pillow, _just in case_ she needed it later.

"What've we got?" Lisbon asked as ran up to Van Pelt. The team had assembled in a slightly overgrown cemetery on the outskirts of Sacramento.

Van Pelt looked at her boss with worried eyes before answering, "Gun shot wound to the head, looks like a suicide." The father was face down on the ground over top of a grave that looked like it had not been attended to in a few years.

Lisbon crouched down next to the victim to get a better look. Jane and Van Pelt exchanged nervous glances as they noticed Lisbon fingering her cross subconsciously. It was natural that Jane would pick up on the changes in her demeanour during this case because that is just what he does, but he was quite surprised at the amount of concern that the rookie was showing for her boss. It must just be a female instinct, he thought to himself. Or, maybe Van Pelt could empathize with her boss because this case was affecting her just as much. As he pondered that idea, Lisbon got to her feet and was back to business as usual.

"Cho, get the gun to ballistics," she ordered.

"I guess that this is a closed case, then?" asked Rigsby. "I mean, suicide really proves that he killed his children, doesn't it?"

"Oh, he definitely killed his children," Jane started, "but I don't think he killed himself. I think the suicide was staged." Jane took note of Lisbon's surprised expression as he continued, "it's been rainy lately, right? Look here; there is two sets of footprints heading this direction but one stops about a meter behind the father."

"So you think that he was followed?" Van Pelt asked. She bent over to look at the tread marks left on the ground.

"Take a look at the grave stone… it is not just any old grave. My guess is that it belongs to someone he loves very much, someone he misses. Judging by the smell of alcohol on his clothing, I would say that he was drunk. I think that he was angry and took it out on his children." Lisbon blanched as Jane spoke and her hand was drawn to the cross around her neck once again. Jane continued talking, "this time, he took it a little too far. He beat his sons to death and when the daughter came down and found him, she grabbed the phone to call for help and he _had _to stop her."

"Why didn't any of the neighbours hear screaming and call for help?" Van Pelt questioned. "How can you _not realize _that something like this happened right next door to you?" Her voice cracked a little with the emotion she was trying to hide. Risgby stepped a little closer to her and laid a hand on her shoulder but she stepped away.

Jane glanced around at his colleagues before continuing, "Once he realized what he'd done, he must have felt guilty and come here. If I'm not mistaken, this grave belongs to…"

"His wife, the children's mother," Lisbon interjected quietly. With that, she turned and left the cemetery. Cho looked momentarily concerned but resumed his stoic expression before assuming the role of leader.

"Rigsby, get forensics down here to see if there is any evidence left behind by our shooter, Van Pelt, you and I will go canvas the neighbourhood again and see if there was anything we missed. Jane, go update Hightower and then check on Lisbon. And please, be kind!"

Jane fixed Cho with a bewildered stare that seemed to say 'but I'm always kind' before shaking his head and trotting off after Rigsby.

* * *

As soon as Lisbon got home, she changed into jogging shorts and a tank top, grabbed her iPod, laced up her running shoes and ran off to towards the river. As she ran, she noted the drop in temperature and the dark grey clouds forming overhead. There was something soothing about running in the rain; it made her forget things that she'd rather not think about. She ran for the better part of an hour before the rain got too heavy. She thought about turning around and heading home, but then decided to sit on a park bench and watch the rain fall against the river. She hugged her knees up to her chest and let the cool water wash over her.

She felt so alone, she had not felt like this since she was a teenager. She listened as the words of the song playing on her iPod spoke to her, calming her down. She drew her knees closer and hung her head as sobs wracked her body.

_It's been so long since you felt like you were loved_

_So what went wrong?_

_But do you know, there's a place where you belong_

_Here in my arms_

_When it feels like you're alone in your sadness_

_And it seems like no one in the whole world cares_

_And you want to get away from the madness_

_You just call my name and I'll be there_

_You just call my name and I'll be there_

Lisbon didn't notice the headlights of the car that just pulled into the parking lot behind her, nor did she notice the man climbing out of his car and walking towards her. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder but she didn't turn around.

"Do you have any idea how hard you are to find, woman?" Jane asked, "what are you doing out in this weather anyways?" Jane stepped around the bench to face her and barely held in a gasp when he did. She had tear trails down her cheeks and whole appearance was a mess. It was just so… not Lisbon. The Lisbon he knew was a fighter, but now she looked so small and defeated. He did the only thing he could think of to do; he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She made no effort to move out of his grip but rather buried her face into his shoulder while she cried. They stayed like that for a few minutes before she realized what she was doing and who was there with her.

She straightened up quickly and looked away. "I'm sorry," she muttered, "please don't tell anyone on the team about this. I have to go." She got up and ran towards her apartment, leaving a bewildered Patrick Jane in her wake. He hurt for her. He knew that the case reminded her of her childhood and how it could have turned out if she hadn't protected her brothers the way that she did. He hated to think of her alone and hurting with no one to talk to. But she wouldn't let him in. He stood up and slowly walked back to his car and started to head back to the Bureau but as he headed out he had another idea.

* * *

"I'm worried about Lisbon." Van Pelt stated as she and Cho pulled up to the first house on their neighbourhood canvassing mission. "She doesn't seem like herself."

"I noticed that." Cho responded slowly.

"What can we do?" Van Pelt demanded. The lack of response or emotion that her colleague was showing was really starting to bother her.

"Not much." He said as he reached up to knock on the door.

***

After several unsuccessful interviews, they met with a neighbour who was not home when they came around previously. He was reluctant to let them into his house but when they finally got in, Van Pelt and Cho were only moderately surprised to see that Jane was already there, and had made himself comfortable in the man's living room with a cup of tea.

"Hi guys!" He said, flashing his thousand megawatt smile and giving them a small wave as they entered and sat down on the couch opposite. "Mr. Montgomery here was just explaining how he had no idea that his neighbour's children had been severely neglected and beaten."

"Sir, we're with the CBI. We just need to ask you a few questions about your neighbours." Cho said as Montgomery sat down on the vacant chair in the corner of the room.

"How well did you know the Brisbin family?" Van Pelt asked gently. Montgomery took a moment to consider his answer before he responded.

"I moved here a little over a year ago. The Brisbins were really nice and welcoming when I first got here. Shelly, the wife, came over with a plate of cookies as I was unpacking. She said it was a 'welcome to the neighbourhood' present. She was killed two weeks later. Hit and run, I believe. Very sad turn of events."

"Do you know anything about the relationship between Mr. Brisbin and his children after his wife's passing?" Van Pelt inquired as she glanced out the window at the quiet street.

"No, not really, I never saw them outside. My first few weeks here the kids were running and playing all over the neighbourhood but I haven't really seen them outside since. I just figured they were grieving their mom, you know," he trailed off at the end. Jane fixed him with a piercing stare as he reached to set his tea cup back down on its saucer.

"Did you ever have reason to suspect that the children were being abused by their father?" Cho asked bluntly. He had noticed that Jane was being uncharacteristically quiet during this interview and was growing slightly disconcerted.

"No. Like I said, I hadn't seen the children in a long time and I never saw their old man." He reiterated and it was clear that he was growing irritated with the questioning.

"Do you own a weapon, Mr. Montgomery?" Jane asked. He kept his expression neutral as he looked fixedly at Montgomery. "Judging by your closely shaved hair and firm jaw line, I assume that you are ex-military. So you are probably a pretty good shot, right? You also get along well with children, don't you? Based on these pictures on your mantle, you have several nieces and nephews whom you love and adore. You wouldn't want anything to happen to them right? My guess, you are hiding something from us. You saw the children more than you let on didn't you? Perhaps even cared for them like you would your own? You would do anything to protect them?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Montgomery responded. "Are we through? I have things to do."

"No, we are not _through,_" Jane said, "I know you killed Mr. Brisbin, I just don't know whether you killed the kids also? Did you?" Van Pelt grimaced as she saw Montgomery wind up and punch Jane square in the face. Cho leaped on the man and wrestled his hands behind his back.

"Mark Montgomery, you are under arrest for assault on a CBI consultant." Cho said as he started to lead Montgomery out to the SUV.

"And murder, don't forget the murder!" Jane shouted after Cho, as he wiped his bleeding nose.

"We don't have enough evidence for that yet," said Van Pelt, handing him a tissue, "I'll check his background as soon as we get back to headquarters." With that, she took off for the second vehicle waiting in the driveway and Jane took off after her, sniffling as he went.

* * *

Back at the CBI headquarters, Madeleine Hightower was hovering around Rigsby as he worked at his desk. He was busy talking to forensics trying to find any clues that would help them to identify the killer, but he was kept constantly on edge by Hightower's presence that he couldn't help stuttering into the phone as he spoke. As soon as Rigsby had hung up, Hightower had seized the opportunity to question him.

"I notice that you and Agent Van Pelt have been distancing yourselves from each other. " She started as Rigsby grunted a non-committal response. "I'm glad that you were able to maintain an amicable relationship so as not to affect both of your promising careers."

Rigsby could feel the anger boiling up inside him. How dare she bring this up! He had just lost the best thing he had going for him, Grace was his life, she meant everything to him. He tried to calm himself down- he had to remain cool in front of his boss.

"Agent Rigsby," Hightower continued, "have you seen Senior Agent Lisbon lately? I fully expected her to be in my office an hour ago to brief me on your case thus far."

Rigsby finally looked up from his desk. He had seen Lisbon come in this morning, but she had gone straight to her office. It wasn't like her to be late for anything, let alone to miss a meeting entirely. Something must be up.

"I saw her this morning," Rigsby answered slowly, "I don't know where she went though, and the last I knew she was in her office."

Hightower looked at him suspiciously as she turned on her heel and left the bullpen in search of the senior agent. As she got the Lisbon's office, she noticed that the door was ajar. She didn't see anyone inside so she pushed open the door and let herself in. She looked around the small room for any clues as to where Lisbon could possibly be; nothing of significance on her shelves, or on the couch, or on her calendar. Hightower did notice an old photograph lying on Lisbon's desk; she assumed it was Lisbon and her three brothers in a family portrait. After straightening the items on the desk a little, Hightower left the office. She would have to have a serious talk with Lisbon about punctuality and attendance, but she knew from Lisbon's file that she rarely ever missed work except for emergencies. Something must be wrong.

* * *

Jane and Van Pelt had arrived back at headquarters shortly after Cho and Montgomery did. Cho had Montgomery escorted into an interrogation room to be questioned further about his relationship with the Brisbin family and the newly found evidence placing him in the cemetery around the same time as Mr. Brisbin was killed. Jane was fairly certain that he had killed the father, but they needed a formal confession in order to make the charges stick.

Van Pelt had already scampered off to her desk to continue with her work, but Jane decided that a leisurely stroll around the office wouldn't hurt. He stopped as he passed the women's washrooms though since he heard the sounds of retching coming from the other side of the door. Jane looked both ways to make sure that no one was coming before he opened the door and entered the washrooms.

As he expected, there was Lisbon kneeling on the floor with her head hung over the porcelain bowl. Jane hurried to grab her hair and rub soothing circles on her back. She looked pasty white with dark, sunken eyes. This was not the Lisbon he knew, it was just the mere shell of the usually fiery woman who looked out for all of her team. He realized that now was the time that she needed them to look after her. She slowly stood up and made her way to the sink to grab a drink of water and wash her face. Jane took her by the hand and together they sat down against the wall.

"Perhaps you would feel better if you talked to someone about it?" Jane started slowly.

Lisbon looked up at him and saw the hopeful expression in his eyes. He really cared about her. He put his arm around her shoulders and she melted into his embrace, laying her head on his shoulder as she started to speak.

"My mom died when I was young, she was hit by a drunk driver. My dad took her death really hard and turned to the only outlet he could think of- alcohol. He would always come home drunk and head straight for my brothers' rooms and beat them senseless. I tried so hard to protect them; I tried to get him to come after me instead. Sometimes he did, but sometimes he hurt my brothers so badly that they would end up in the hospital. He would never remember what happened and he would never believe that he had hurt them." She sniffled and readjusted her head on Jane's shoulder, but she didn't pull away.

"One night, he was so drunk and he came home with a gun and tried to kill all of us. I managed to get my brothers out of the house safely, but he shot me in the shoulder. I still have problems in that arm to this day. I just can't help thinking that this case is how my life could have turned out. I could have easily died as a teenager. And no one cared, everybody knew what was going on, and no one cared." Her voice faded out as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Jane pulled her closer and held her tightly as she cried. He was happy that she had chosen to talk to him and let it out rather than to keep on running; he doubted whether she had ever told anyone before. Maybe now she could begin to move on and to heal.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours. Jane turned to face her and thumbed away her remaining tears. "Never blame yourself for what your father did. You did the best that you could and you made sure that your brothers had the best possible life given the circumstances. You are an amazing woman, Teresa Lisbon, and don't ever forget it."

She rolled her eyes and gave him a small smile before getting to her feet and looking in the mirror. He gave her hand a final squeeze before exiting the bathroom so that she could clean herself up a bit. Fifteen minutes later she emerged feeling more like her old self and she was ready to close this case once and for all.

She walked into the interrogation room where Cho was grilling Montgomery. Jane gave her an encouraging smile before exiting and letting her have a shot at getting him to confess.

"Mr. Montgomery," she started, "you said that you often saw the children outside before their mother died. Did they come to you for help or disclose any information to you that would make you suspect that there was something wrong in their home life?"

"No, they did not. But I could guess that something was wrong because they always looked so messy and they wore clothing that looked like they were covering bruises and the like." He replied.

"Why didn't you ever come forward with your suspicions?" Lisbon questioned. "You had the power to put a stop to this but you didn't. Why was that?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to get involved in anyone else's business. What people do in their own homes doesn't concern me so I leave it well enough alone."

"But you didn't the other night, did you? You heard screams coming from your neighbour's house and so you went to check it out. You saw the boys lying on the ground downstairs and you figured out what had happened. You knew that Mr. Brisbin was a self pitying drunk and you knew that he would go to the cemetery. So you followed him there and you killed him. Is that correct?" Lisbon finished.

Montgomery pondered for a second before his face contorted, "He had it coming," he sneered. " I was trying to seek revenge for those children. He didn't deserve to live after what he had done to them. How much time will I serve?" Montgomery asked.

"That's for the courts to decide," Lisbon explained. "This situation could have been avoided if you'd just come forward and voiced your suspicions. Those kids would still be alive right now." He looked down at his hands as Lisbon pulled him up and escorted him to the holding cells. As she passed Jane in the hallway, she looked at him and he could not mistake the sparkle of pride in her eyes. He knew that she could tell that the nightmare was almost over.

As Lisbon made her way back up to the bullpen, she bumped into Hightower. "Lisbon, my office, NOW." She called. Lisbon cringed and followed her to her office.

"Have a seat," Hightower commanded. Lisbon took her seat tentatively and looked up at her boss with trepidation. "The next time you have a case that gets the better of you, I need you to come and tell me so that I can reassign it. Nothing is worth losing your sanity over."

Lisbon started to speak but Hightower interrupted, "Never mind that, what's done is done. Congratulations on closing such a personal case. Now is there anything I can do for you to make things easier?" She asked gruffly.

Lisbon thought hard before answering, "Actually, I think that there might be just one thing…"

* * *

A knock on the door shook Lisbon out of her reveries. She hadn't realized that she had been staring at the same spot on the page for over five minutes.

"Come in," she shouted as the door to her office opened and Patrick Jane entered with his trademarked mischievous smile plastered to his face. He set a package with a red bow down in front of her as he perched himself on the corner of her desk. She took the package and opened it up, smiling a little as she did so.

"They're the papers that I took from you earlier. I figured that you might want them back since you obviously won't be taking any breaks what with Hightower breathing down your neck." He finished quietly while looking down at his shoes.

"Actually, you can keep them," Lisbon said. Jane looked up at her with a confused expression on his face. "Hightower gave me permission to take two weeks off to go and spend time with my brothers so I will be leaving on the Red-eye tonight."

She started packing some of her possessions that were hanging around the office into her briefcase. She finished by picking up the faded photograph of her and her brothers, fingering it gently before adding it to her pile of things to take with her. She took a brief moment to write CLOSED in big letters on the white board above her desk counting the number of successfully closed cases, smiling to herself as she did so. Lisbon then picked up her briefcase, pulled on her coat, and grabbed her keys before giving Jane a small kiss on the cheek and ushering him out of her office so that she could lock it up.

"Thank you for everything, listening to me and all that…" she started slowly. "Be good for Cho." He just nodded and smiled, dumbstruck, as he watched her walk away. After she was safely on the elevator, Jane raised his hand to his cheek and let it linger slightly on the place where she kissed him. He turned and made his way over to his couch so that he could lie down because he had a lot of thinking to do.

The End.


End file.
